Welcome to The Coffee House! We hope you enjoy this place; however, we appreciate that you may have a few questions about who we are and what we do. So, we've put this page together, with the aim of introducing ourselves and answering answering your initial questions about our community.

What is the community about?

Basically, we're an online version of a real-world coffee house: a relaxed and informal environment where people can sip coffee, get to know one another, and discuss the matters of the day. Okay, so the 'sipping coffee' part is optional (and kind of hard to do over the internet, unless you're willing to supply your own coffee ), but that's the basic idea.

The current board opened in June 2018; however, The Coffee House can trace its roots back further than that. The forum first opened on ZetaBoards in December 2009, when Kyng and ObsessedwithBirds merged their two forums to create what was then known as the 'Imperial Forum'. However, a friendlier name was desired - and so, our members voted to switch to 'The Coffee House' in November 2010. We then spent the subsequent years getting to know new people, sharing our experiences and forging long-lasting friendships along the way. Of course, there have been some rough patches (most of all, when we lost our original home); however, we've stuck together as a community, and come out stronger than ever.

Nevertheless, we don't wish to dwell on our history too much, because it's still a work-in-progress - and, by joining us, you have an opportunity to write part of it yourself!

What kinds of things do you do?

From our discussions of the issues, we've found ourselves to be an eclectic bunch, with a diverse range of interests. Another of our members, Dust Bowl, explains here what we have to offer:

Dust BowlYour curiosity is our joy. Maybe you are curious about how things are like in the UK but don't know where to post such questions? Fear not, for our UK-based members have a topic specifically to be asked about their country's culture, ways and history. The Scot, Americans and Australians do as well. And if you wanna go a little bit deeper, there are such topics for Oklahoma and Argentina as well. It is really quite a deep wealth of information to be had and learned from.

But countries, regions and states aside, your intellectual curiosity can also be satisfied here. There is a downright masterful topic about linguistics in here, and there are many excellent ones about math, nature and history as well. We even have a board where we experiment and try the boundaries of alternative history.

Understanding that all of the above is not necessarily for everyone, we also make sure to acknowledge the screen from which you read us. So, what do you use it for? Do you watch awesome Netflix shows or hilarious YT videos on yours? Wanna share a hidden gem that you have just recently found out about or sigh angrily at a bomb you had such high hopes for? We have got you covered through a variety of already-existing topics and encourage you to start your own threads. Even if the shows were only available in your region or happen to be off the air for decades (*cough*), we still wanna hear about them!

Last --but definitely not least-- your creative expressions will always have a place here. Whether you like to write, draw, animate or photograph things, your work is something we wanna be delighted with and provide feedback for.

Of course, everyone needs time to unwind and relax at some point - and, we Coffee House members are no exception. Some of us are avid role players - and, if that appeals to you, then we're keen to welcome you into our fictional worlds. Alternatively, if you're more competitively-minded, we also have an arcade, where you can set high scores for your fellow members to beat. Or, if that's not enough, we also have regularly-scheduled contests, from caption competitions to sports prediction and graphics design. Compete with other members for Coffee Credits and awards!

You mentioned Coffee Credits and Awards. How do I get those?

Coffee Credits are the forum's currency, which can be earned in a variety of ways. One of the main ways to earn them is by posting (starting new topics earns more than replying - and longer, more in-depth posts earn more than one-liners). Another way to earn them is as prizes in contests (creative and artistic contests tend to give away more than simple caption competitions). These credits are used to purchase a variety of items in our shops - from graphics and banners, to access to additional themes, and even custom BBCodes.

The awards are given out for more impressive achievements - for where simply giving out Coffee Credits doesn't cut it . Most prestigious of all is the "Member of the Year" award, voted on by the members at the end of every year; others include awards for contributing to specific sections, or setting very high scores in the arcade. There's also a "Newcomer of the Year" award, because we appreciate what our newer members can bring to the table!

For more details on the Coffee Credits, click here - or, for a full list of the awards, go here.

So, where do I begin?

The first stop for all new members is the Introductions section; come here to tell us a little bit about yourself. Once you've done that, it's worth checking the Announcements and Board Information: this section contains all the latest news updates, as well as a few guides aimed at answering any further questions you may have as a member. Or, if you'd like to learn more about the people behind the website, head over to the Staff Intro to read our personal bios .

Anyway, we hope this introduction has given you a good idea of who we are and what we do. If you'd like to join us, then click here to register right away !